Merkel sees politics behind Khodorkovsky sentence

BERLIN Dec 30 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel
criticised on Thursday the sentencing of former Russian oil
tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky to six additional years in prison,
saying the ruling appeared to be politically motivated.

"The impression remains that political motivations played a
role in this trial," Merkel said in Berlin. "This contradicts
Russia's frequently repeated intention to pursue full adoption
of the rule of law."

The sentencing of Khodorkovsky by a Russian judge on charges
of multi-billion dollar theft and money-laundering means he will
serve a total of 14 years in prison and not be freed until 2017.

Germany relies heavily on Russian energy imports and the two
countries have close economic ties, but Merkel's government has
not shied away from criticising Moscow in recent years on issues
such as human rights and press freedoms.

Politicians from the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), junior
coalition partners to Merkel's conservatives, used even stronger
language in condemining the ruling.
German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Scharrenberger
said in a statement that the sentencing was "unquestionably
politically motivated" and that it exposed as "hollow" Russia's
past pledges to observe the rule of law.